Digging a 2,500-year-old 'water tomb', China finds a unique treasure, high technology that cannot be copied

Inside the 2,500-year-old 'water tomb', Chinese archaeologists were surprised with a series of shocking discoveries.

Five decades ago, China made an archaeological discovery that shocked the world . A series of artifacts that set many different records were found in a "water tomb" nearly 2,500 years old. The history of a small kingdom during the Warring States period thus had the opportunity to awaken after a thousand years of slumber underground.

Excavating a nearly 2,500-year-old "water tomb", archaeologists have made many shocking discoveries.

In the late 1970s, Chinese archaeologists unexpectedly discovered an ancient tomb nearly 2,500 years old in the ancient city of Suizhou - the hometown of the legendary king Yandi Shennong - in Hubei province, China.

That year, when the Chinese Army was breaking mountains to build barracks in the Leiguwen area, they unexpectedly saw traces of an ancient tomb (the color and texture of the soil was different from the surrounding areas). Experts immediately went to the scene. The archaeological team had to remove nearly 50 large stone slabs and a thick layer of peat to be able to access this 220 square meter, 13 meter deep, and water-filled tomb.

Conducting an initial survey, experts determined that this was the tomb of Marquis Zeng Yi (475 BC – 433 BC), also known as Ji Yi, king of Zeng State - a vassal of the Zhou Dynasty at the beginning of the Warring States period in Chinese history.

This news quickly shocked the archaeological community in particular and China in general for many reasons. Firstly, the discovery of the emperor's tomb has immense archaeological value; Secondly, inside this large tomb, dozens of meters deep underground, people have found countless top-notch artifacts, unique in the history of this country.

As the owner of the tomb, Zeng Hou Yi attracted a great deal of attention from connoisseurs despite the fact that there were very few historical records about him. The small Zeng Kingdom thus became famous throughout the world after nearly 2,500 years of being covered in dust by time.

It can be said that the discovery of the tomb of Zeng Hou Yi is the most important archaeological discovery in China. So what unique treasures are inside this thousand-year-old "water tomb"?

1. The world's heaviest 7-ton coffin surrounded by the remains of 21 beauties

After draining the tomb, the team of experts had to clean the inside of the tomb day and night because all four sides were filled with peat.

The 7-ton wooden coffin containing the remains of the tomb's owner, Tang Hou Yi. Photo: CPPCC Museum of History and Culture

After removing more than 31 tons of peat from above the main coffin, the archaeological team saw a large wooden coffin weighing 7 tons, lying in the center, exquisitely crafted, intact despite thousands of years. The person lying inside was the owner of this luxurious tomb: Tang Hou Yi, who passed away at the age of 45. To date, this is the heaviest ancient coffin ever found in the world.

A crane carries the 7-ton coffin out of the mausoleum. Photo: CPPCC Museum of History and Culture

Not only that, around this coffin there are a total of 21 smaller coffins surrounding the main coffin. The remains inside are all women, aged between 13 and 24. Archaeologists believe that these 21 beauties could be beautiful dancers who served the king every day when he was alive. After the king passed away, they were also buried with him so that they could serve the king in the afterlife.

2. "Orphan treasure", high technology that cannot be copied

After discovering the 7-ton coffin, a large number of Chinese archaeologists focused on searching for artifacts inside the tomb. After months of work, they discovered a total of about 15,404 artifacts of different sizes, materials, and shapes. Among them, more than 6,200 artifacts were made of bronze.

The tallest of the bronze objects is the Drum Base, about half a meter high and weighing nearly 200kg. Seeing this treasure, modern Chinese artisans are amazed at the extraordinary talent of the ancient artisans 2,500 years ago.

The drum base in the tomb of Zeng Hou Yi is known as an "orphan treasure" because it cannot be copied into a second one. Photo: CPPCC Museum of History and Culture

"I am completely amazed and impressed by the amazing skill of the ancient sculptors, to the point that now this bronze drum base is the only one in the world. Even advanced technology cannot simulate, copy or even fake this miraculous cultural artifact" - An expert from the archaeological team of the tomb of Tang Hau At exclaimed.

This bronze drum base is an indispensable part of the Drum - a popular musical instrument of the Tang Dynasty. The drum consists of 3 parts: the drum, the stand and the drum base.

Close-up of the drum base. Photo: CPPCC Museum of History and Culture

The base of the drum was often highly valued by ancient artisans. The treasures in the tomb of Zeng Hou Yi include many dragon statues, including 16 large dragon statues and dozens of small dragon statues. Although made of bronze, hundreds of these dragons are lifelike, creating a magical feeling, strongly attracting viewers. They are exquisite, complex to the point of perfection and are considered by artisans to be the pinnacle treasure of ancient bronze art.

What confuses experts is that they do not know exactly how many dragons there are because all the dragon statues on the drum base are in a posture of entwining and climbing up proudly. That is the reason why people cannot copy this treasure.

Because it cannot be copied, the Tang Hau At drum base is considered a unique "orphan treasure" in the world.

3. The largest 2.5-ton bronze bell set in Chinese archaeological history

The next bronze artifact that demonstrates the pinnacle of Chinese artisanship is the bronze bell set of Zenghou Yi. Experts consider this to be the most complete and largest bronze bell set discovered to date in China.

A team of experts examined and recorded the 2.5-ton bronze bell set inside the tomb of Tang Hau At. Photo: CPPCC Museum of Culture and History

In 2018, the CPPCC Museum of History and Culture (China) published an article by the Director of the Hubei Provincial Archaeological Association on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the discovery of this shocking tomb complex in China, which included a description of the discovery of a rare set of bronze bells.

"The bells are located on the west side of the central chamber of the tomb. The bell frame is divided into three levels: upper, middle and lower. The top level is divided into three brackets, all of which are small bells, a total of 19. The middle bracket is supported by three bronze warriors. There are 33 medium-sized bells here. What is even rarer is that most of the 13 large bells on the lower level are still hanging on the bell frame and are supported by three more bronze warriors.

The most difficult things to retrieve were the large bells on the lower floor. Most of them weighed more than 100 kg, some weighed more than 200 kg, and were 1.52 meters high. The size of the bells alone was astonishing. The entire bell frame weighed more than 2.5 tons and had existed for nearly 2,500 years, still standing firmly thanks to the mortise and tenon technique of the ancients.

The details on the bell and the precious inscriptions are what make historians admire the talent of the ancient artisans. Everything is very skillfully made. In particular, the sound of the bell is deep and high, making it difficult for people to copy exactly.

Therefore, this set of bronze bells can be considered the pinnacle of bronze musical instruments of the Warring States period, and is ranked as a national treasure by China.

In addition to thousands of bronze artifacts, the tomb of Zeng Hou Yi also contains a large arsenal. More than 4,000 arrowheads were found - the largest number of arrowheads excavated from an ancient tomb in many years in China. In addition, there are also major weapons such as swords, spears, halberds, bows...

"The discovery of this tomb is of great significance to the study of pre-Qin history. The history of military weapons, ancient rituals, and various bronze casting techniques in this tomb have become clearer than ever. In terms of arts and crafts, there are outstanding works of sculpture, modeling, painting, and engraving, some of which have set precedents for future generations of art. The harvest is too great to count," concluded the director of the Hubei Provincial Archaeological Association.

References: CPPCC Museum of History and Culture, Sohu, Baidu

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